Heuchera plant named ‘Mocha’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Heuchera×villosa,  ‘Mocha’, characterized by its very dark colored foliage, its large cordate-shaped leaves on rosy red petioles, its compact and mounded plant habit, its tolerance to heat, humidity, and exposure to sunlight, and its hardiness in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 9.

Botanical classification: Heuchera×villosa.

Cultivar designation: ‘Mocha’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHeuchera×villosa, and is hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name‘Mocha’.

The inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Mocha’, as a naturally wholeplant mutation Heuchera×villosa in a cultivated nursery bed inFrankrijk, France in summer of 2004. The parent plants of ‘Mocha’ areunknown, however Heuchera ‘Brownies’ (not patented) and Heuchera ‘VelvetNight’ (not patented) are possible parents based on characteristics andpresence in the growing area.

The new cultivar was selected as unique for its large, dark browncolored leaves combined with overall garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished underdirection of the inventor by in vitro propagation in Rijswijk, TheNetherlands in summer of 2004. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivarby division and tissue culture has shown that the unique features of‘Mocha’ are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Mocha’ as a new and unique cultivar of Heuchera.

-   -   1. ‘Mocha’ has foliage that is very dark brown in color. The        foliage emerges a coppery brown in spring and changes to dark        brown, as it matures. The foliage coloration is sun-fast and        retained throughout the growing season.    -   2. The leaves of ‘Mocha’ are cordate in shape and larger than in        typical for dark foliaged Heuchera.    -   3. ‘Mocha’ is tolerant to heat, humidity, and exposure to        sunlight.    -   4. The plant habit of ‘Mocha’ is mounded and compact.    -   5. ‘Mocha’ is hardy in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 9, hardier than most        dark foliaged cultivars of Heuchera.

‘Mocha’ is a unique Heuchera with dark color foliage. There are manyHeuchera cultivars with dark colored foliage, however the combination ofhaving foliage that is this deep in color in combination with its gardenperformance in a wide range of environmental conditions distinguishes‘Mocha’ from all other cultivars known to the inventor.

‘Mocha’ is most similar to ‘Brownies’ and ‘Velvet Night’ in overallcharacteristics. However, ‘Brownies’ has lighter brown foliage and‘Velvet Night’ is lighter brown with purple mottling and veins. ‘Mocha’is similar to Heuchera villosa ‘Caramel’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,560) inplant habit and foliage characteristics, however ‘Caramel’ exhibitsgolden yellow colored foliage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Heuchera. The photographs weretaken in The Netherlands of a one year-old plant as grown outdoors in aone gallon container.

The photograph on FIG. 1 provides a view of the spring foliage of newcultivar and the photograph in FIG. 2 is a close-up view of the foliageof ‘Mocha’. The colors in the photographs are as close as possible withthe photographic and printing technology utilized. The color valuescited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe thecolors of the new Heuchera.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of a one year-old plant of thenew cultivar as grown outdoors in The Netherlands. The phenotype of thenew cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, andcultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withthe 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general colors terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: ‘Mocha’ is a cultivar of Heuchera×villosa.-   General description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Compact, clump-forming herbaceous perennial,            mounded foliage.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about a height of about 14 cm in            height and about 20 cm in width.        -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zone 4 to 9.        -   Culture.—Full sun to medium shade in moist, well-drained,            fertile soils.        -   Diseases and pests.—Disease free in the conditions tested,            no susceptibility or resistance to pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous roots on woody rootstalks.        -   Branching habit.—Basal rosettes of leaves on petioles.        -   Propagation.—In vitro propagation is the preferred method,            division are also possible.        -   Root initiation.—Roots appear in rooting media in 10 day at            20° C. in the laboratory without supplemental lighting.        -   Root development.—Rooted transplants from tissue culture            fully develop in a 2.5 inch container in about 20 days in a            greenhouse with average temperatures of about 20° C. without            supplemental lighting in The Netherlands.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous compared to what is typically observed            for Heuchera with colored foliage. A 2.5-inch container will            fully develop in a one-gallon container in about 2.5 months            in the Netherlands.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Cordate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple, but lobed with about 5 to 7 lobes per            leaf.        -   Leaf base.—Strongly cordate (leaves at base overlap).        -   Leaf apex.—Acute to rounded.        -   Leaf venation.—Primary palmate, secondary net-veined, not            conspicuous, vein color on upper surface matched leaf color,            vein color on lower surface of mature leaves is N200C.        -   Leaf margins.—Crenate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal rosettes.        -   Leaf orientation.—Held horizontal to petiole, held nearly            flat (not ruffled or curled).        -   Leaf surface.—Upper and lower; pubescent with 1 mm stiff            white hairs.        -   Leaf color.—Young upper and lower surface; 51B to 51C with            markings of N77B to N77C, maturing leaves upper surface; 51C            with mottling of N202A, maturing leaves lower surface N79C,            mature leaves upper surface; mostly 202B with cast of N189B,            mature leaves lower surface; N79C.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 9.5 cm in length and width.        -   Leaf quantity.—About 11 per basal rosette.        -   Petiole size.—Up to 9 cm in length, about 2 mm in width.        -   Petiole color.—182C with standing of N186C, young petioles            145C.        -   Petiole shape.—Round.        -   Stipules.—2 leafy stipules at the base of each petiole,            oblong in shape, 1 cm in length, 2 mm in width, color 182C            (both surfaces), margins sparsely covered with short hairs.-   Flower and seed description: Flowering was been observed under the    conditions grown for data collection, creamy white bell-shaped    flowers typical of the species should be expected under the right    conditions for flowering.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant named ‘Mocha’ as hereinillustrated and described.